In another scorching day in Massachusetts, the Wareham Gatemen returned to their stomping grounds at Spillane Field on Friday in search of something to snap their five-game losing streak. The team had hit a league-lowest .182 batting average during that five-game span, grabbing only six combined hits in their last two games.
Being superstitious, the Gatemen wanted to switch up their pregame routine and wash away any bad luck that they had. So, they gathered all of their bats together, surrounded them with candles, and blessed them before the game.
The idea of the ritual came from Murf Gray (Fresno State) during his time in Fresno. It was done to get the bats ready for the game ahead and give the team some good vibes before stepping onto the field.
At first, the ritual seemed to do nothing, as the Gatemen looked as flat as the previous two games. Cotuit came out firing to start the game, scoring eight runs in the first three innings. The Kettleers, who were on a three-game losing skid of their own, set the tone early and left Wareham stunned. Cotuit fans in the crowd were cheering hard for their team and the momentum completely shifted their way. It seemed like the same old script was going to play out for the Gatemen, but they never gave up, and eventually, their blessed bats answered their prayers.
The Gatemen (21-16-1) defeated the Cotuit Kettleers (21-15-1) 10-9 in spectacular fashion, coming back from an 8-0 deficit and walking off into the night with the sweet taste of victory they were so hungry for. The win snapped their five-game losing streak and secured their second win against the Kettleers this summer.
“That was awesome, the team had been struggling obviously for the last couple of games and to see the fight still there, even going down the way we did and coming all the way back. Credit to these players that wanted to win, it was awesome to watch,” said Wareham Gatemen manager Ryan Smyth about the win.
After giving up those eight runs in the first three innings, the Gatemen offense came alive. It started in the third inning when the Gatemen were able to score two runs thanks to the patience of Antonio Jimenez (UCF) and Billy Parker (Army), who drew walks to start things off.
Parker, who made his first Cape League start with the Gatemen, had a fantastic night. His outstanding performance started in the second with a spectacular diving catch in center, a position he had not played before, that saved a run. In the fourth, he slammed an RBI single into left field, and then in the sixth, he blasted a moon shot home run into the stratosphere that got his team fired up. In total, he went 2 for 3 with two RBI and scored three runs on the night.
“I was just seeing it well and got the pitches that I wanted. In the nine-hole, I was most likely going to get the fastball down the middle or a hanger, just something for me to hit, so I just got my timing down and got ready,” said Parker about his time at the plate.
The Hopedale native also had a bit of a homecoming, returning to the field he consistently attended as a young Gatemen fan, this time in the uniform of his idols.
“It’s amazing. I mean, I grew up coming to these games. So as a kid, this is like everything I could have ever wanted,” Parker said.
Parker’s night sparked the Gatemen’s energy and kicked off the comeback into high gear. This emotion reached a fever point in the top half of the fourth, where Matthew Maloney (Point Loma Nazarene) attempted to throw out Jarren Advincula (California) at third on a delayed steal.
Advincula was ruled safe by the third base umpire, despite the throw making it to third before Advincula and the protests from third baseman Murf Gray. Gatemen manager Ryan Smyth came to the defense of Gray, protesting the call. He ended up getting tossed from the game because of the argument with the officials.
“My whole thing is Murf Gray is one of the coolest cats out here, and to see the reaction he had, I knew something was not right. It was a big moment, you know, protecting my guys when they needed to be protected is what needed to be done,” said Smyth.
His defense of his players rallied the team together even more and after that point there was a noticible shift in energy within the Gatemen dugout. They continued to battle with the Kettleers before tying up the game in the bottom of the seventh courtesy of Eli Putnam (Davidson) and his two-RBI single to center field.
The score remained tied into the ninth inning, where Cotuit had a great chance to take back the lead with a runner on base. However, it was shortstop Antonio Jimenez who stepped up to make a fantastic diving play to create the 6-4-3 double play that kept the game tied going into the bottom of the ninth. With the momentum in their favor, the bases quickly loaded and Putnam stepped up to the plate, calm, cool, and collected before walking in the winning run.
“In that situation, I knew the pressure is really on the pitcher. There, he’s got to make three good pitches to get me out before he throws four balls. That’s a tough spot to be in really, and I was trying to get that one pitch and didn’t get it,” Putnam said.
Putnam did not need the perfect pitch to secure the win for the Gatemen as his patience was enough. The Gatemen ended the game in extremely high spirits. A win like this is more than enough to ignite a fire in a team and create some momentum.
It is crucial for the Gatemen with only two more games left in the regular season. Their win makes things interesting in the West Division standings, placing them only half a game behind Cotuit, and with the Kettleers playing a rare doubleheader against Falmouth tomorrow, there is a good chance the Gatemen can climb back into a top-two spot.
Tomorrow the Gatemen aim to take this momentum and do just that as they head out on the road against the West Division-leading Hyannis Harbor Hawks. First pitch is slated for 6 pm at McKeon Park in Barnstable, MA.
Top Photo Caption: Gatemen dugout salutes Billy Parker (Army) after his solo home run in Wareham's 10-9 win vs Cotuit on August 2nd, 2024. Photo by Kyler Armstrong.
